- Niall Fawcett died when he was struck by a truck while he was working beneath it on the M56 slip road in Cheshire.
- HSE found the company failed to properly assess risks of replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile truck.
- Victim was not adequately supervised or monitored despite only holding roadside licence for less than four months.
A commercial tyre service provider in Worcestershire has been fined following the death of 21-year-old employee Niall Fawcett, who was killed while carrying out a roadside repair.
On 2 August 2024, Mr Fawcett was called out to replace a blown-out tyre on a low-profile truck on the slip road at junction 7 of the M56 motorway near Bowdon. While he was positioned beneath the truck, it is understood to have slipped from the bottle jack (a compact hydraulic lifting tool designed for vehicle support) being used to raise the vehicle and landed on him, causing fatal head injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, formerly known as Lodge Tyre Company Limited (The), had not properly assessed the risks associated with replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile vehicle. The company had also failed to give employees suitable work instructions, including information on when a truck should be recovered rather than repaired at the roadside.
The investigation also found that Mr Fawcett had only obtained his licence to work on commercial tyres at the roadside when he joined the company less than four months before his death. Despite this, he had not been subject to any monitoring or supervision to ensure that he was working safely.
The HSE publication Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries sets out the importance of providing safe systems of work and ensuring workers are competent to carry out their tasks.
The impact on Niall’s family
Niall’s mother, Sharon, said in her victim personal statement:
“Niall was only 21 years old when he died. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was planning to marry the following year and he and Megan were saving for a deposit on their first home together and talking about starting a family. Niall was building for a life he was excited for and this was taken from him in an instant.
“Niall went to work that day and should have been safe, supported and protected. Instead, my son never came home.”
Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, of Icknield Street Drive, Washford West, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0DE, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £200 and £24,203 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 3 November 2026.
HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said:
“This case should serve to highlight to employers the importance of properly assessing the risks to which their workers are exposed and providing the right information and instructions, supplemented by adequate monitoring and supervision arrangements, to ensure that they can and do work safely.
Our thoughts remain with Niall’s family as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart. The investigation was supported by Visiting Officer Natty Heath.
Further information:
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
- More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
- Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
- Relevant guidance can be found here Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries
- HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.